A spinning reel is usually drag-operated by braking the spool while allowing it to rotate in the line play-out direction. When a spool is thus rotated, line kinks accumulate as the line is repeatedly reeled in and played out, and this has led to the development of a rotor drag type of spinning reel with which the drag operation is performed by reversing the rotor in the line play-out direction. A rotor drag type of spinning reel generally has a reel unit that has a handle; a pinion gear that is rotatably supported by the reel unit and that is rotated by a handle; a rotor that is rotatably supported by the reel unit and that is rotated by the pinion gear; a spool that includes a spool shaft that is supported by the reel unit such that it can move in the longitudinal direction; a level winding mechanism that moves the spool shaft in the longitudinal direction together with the pinion gear; and a braking mechanism that brakes the rotor when the rotor is reversed (Japanese Utility Model Publications 3-67574 and 3-56370, for instance). The rotor is balanced so that it will rotate smoothly. The braking mechanism has a brake plate that is engaged and rotated only when the rotor is reversed, and a brake lever that is pivotally supported by the reel unit and that presses the brake plate against the reel unit to effect braking.
With a rotor drag spinning reel having a braking mechanism such as this, the bail is swung into a line release attitude during line play-out. When the fishing line is reeled in, the handle is operated to turn the rotor forward in the line winding direction and wind the fishing line on the spool. Meanwhile, when the fishing line is played out from the spool while the fisherman is fighting a fish, the brake plate is pressed against the reel unit by the brake lever, which brakes the rotor as it reverses, and performs a drag operation.
With the conventional structure discussed above, when the rotor reverses at high speed during a fight with a fish, the handle rotates at high speed via the pinion gear. As a result, even though the rotor is balanced, the reel unit can vibrate since the handle is unbalanced. Also, when a switch is made from line play-out to winding, the handle is difficult to grab unless the brake lever is operated so as to stop or sufficiently decelerate the rotor. Consequently, it is difficult to make an instantaneous switch from line play-out to winding.
A need exists for a rotor drag type of spinning reel in which balance during reversal is improved, and the handle is easier to grab when a switch is made from line play-out to winding.